Last year, SS United States enthusiast and Conservancy supporter John Mark contacted Kusy and commissioned the artist to create a model of America’s Flagship, the SS United States, at a more reasonable 3-foot scale. After taking delivery of the model, which was constructed using more than 16,000 toothpicks, John and Wayne recently connected in Philadelphia to repair minor shipping-related damage to the model, see its full-size inspiration, and present the model to the Conservancy.
The Conservancy is devoted to raising awareness and education around the historic SS United States. We are delighted any time we learn of teachers incorporating America’s Flagship into their lessons. We were recently contacted by Steven Ouellett, a teacher based in The Bronx, New York City. Ouellett wrote:
“She’s not perfect, but this was my best attempt to build a replica of the SS United States out of manila folders, poster board, and aluminum. As a science teacher, my students and I were on the subject of density and displacement, and what better way to demonstrate it by using ships? Unfortunately, COVID-19 closed down all the schools and the way to wrap up this project and launch her. So to not disappoint my students, I built her myself. Her keel was laid on the 21st of March and was officially launched on the 12th of June. The model SS United States’ length overall (LOA) is 70 inches, the beam is 14 inches and the maximum draught is 3.5 inches.”
You can see a video of the model below.
“I was inspired to build this model because I remember accidentally discovering the SS United States when doing research on Blue Riband ships. When doing more research, I saw more of her coloured history as the current reigning Blue Riband,” Ouelett told the Conservancy. “I got emotional when I saw the state she’s in at Philadelphia, and to think that so few people know of her. I grew up at sea, and to think that such a beauty is largely unknown by her country, which she’s named after and flew the flag for, made me really feel emotional and more inclined to honour her.
Originally, I’m from Canada but this was a ship that really means a lot to me because I admire great feats of engineering and I would love, as any ocean liner enthusiast would, to see the real beauty restored, hopefully re-moored in New York, and honoured for how great she is.”
Steven also sent in these photos from his recent trip to Philadelphia, where he was able to see America’s Flagship in person.
The SS United States Conservancy is advancing its plans to create a world-class shipboard museum and visitor center aboard the redeveloped Big U. Learn how you can help.
The SS United States Conservancy is continually moved by the passion, dedication, and generosity of our incredible supporters.
Stanton Daywalt is a lifelong fan of America’s Flagship, as well as a longtime supporter and friend of the Conservancy. In addition to helping us procure various photos and artifacts for our growing permanent collections, Stanton has twice secured a $1,000 grant for the Conservancy through Navy Federal Credit Union’s “Dollars for Doers” program.
Today, we’re excited to share with you Stanton’s beautiful and incredibly detailed model of the SS United States. We think you’ll be amazed by how much thought he put into this incredible facsimile of the Big U. Below, read about Stanton’s process (in his own words) and enjoy photos of his work.
“I had the good fortune to acquire the 1995 Glencoe model kit of the SS United States from a mutual admirer of the ship. The box was still wrapped in the original plastic and in mint condition. I didn’t waste any time on working on it.
Photo courtesy of Stanton Daywalt
I soon discovered the model was lacking in some historically correct detail. For one, all the propellers on the parts tree were 4-bladed, instead of the aft two being 5-bladed, as they were on the real ship. The biggest glaring design flaw was the bridge. Instead of being flush with the superstructure, it was set back. For me, the bridge is the face of the ship and gives the ship identity. I resolved this issue and several others by ordering some Testors clear and white water-slide decal paper. Using Microsoft Paint and Word, I was able to create additional decals to give more detail to the model.
After much trial and error, I was able to create shuffleboard, deck tennis, draft numbers, portholes, vents, and aft hull signage decals. In addition, I used some leftover railing from my Titanic model to add physical details.
Photo courtesy of Stanton Daywalt
Full disclosure: there are some mistakes I made during my early enthusiasm to complete the model. For example, the Neotex green decking wasn’t applied on the bridge/office quarters roof or the roof where the aft kingpost booms are stored. If I ever get another SS United States model kit, I fully intend to fix those errors and improve the model even further!
Photo courtesy of Stanton Daywalt
With regards to the signal flag decals on the guy wires, I got creative with a nod toward both the present and the past. The port side flags between the mast and 1st funnel has my initials. The starboard side flags says USC (United States Conservancy).
Photo courtesy of Stanton Daywalt
The flags between the funnels have WFG (William Francis Gibbs) on the port side and, on the starboard side, the flags have the first name of the caretaker of the ship in the 80s and early 90s. He passed away several years ago, but his widow and I are friends. And she’s been instrumental in filling in details about the ship’s time at Norfolk International Terminal and Newport News CSX Coal Pier 15. It's a small homage to his dedication and love of the ship.”
Photo courtesy of Stanton Daywalt
The SS United States Conservancy is committed to creating a world-class museum and visitor center aboard the redeveloped Big U. Learn more about our plans here.
